The Sunday News
Walter Mswazie in Masvingo
THE Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) has said there will be 58 polling stations for the Bikita West by-election to be held on Saturday.
Six candidates are vying for the seat that fell vacant when former National Assembly representative Munyaradzi Kereke was jailed for 10 years after being found guilty of raping his 11-year-niece last year. The candidates who are vying for the seat are Cde Beauty Chabaya (Zanu-PF), Mr Kudakwashe Gopo (ZimPF), Mr Heya Shoko (Independent), Mr Madock Chivasa (National Constitutional Assembly), Mr Terence Tanyaradzwa Makumbo (Progressive Democrats of Zimbabwe) and Mr Innocent Muzvimbiri (Independent).
In an interview, Zec chairperson Justice Rita Makarau said the commission was ready to conduct the by-election. She said there will be 58 polling stations which will be mainly set up at primary schools while some of them will be tents that will be pitched in different wards.
Justice Makarau said about 18 800 voters have registered to vote in the constituency.
She said the commission would make use of the manual voting system but indicated that they were in the process of procuring equipment for biometric system to be used in next year’s harmonised elections.
“I can safely say as Zec, we are ready for the Bikita West by-election. We are done with the voters’ roll. About 18 800 voters have registered to vote. Soon we will be printing a voters’ roll specifically for the constituency,” said Justice Makarau.
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